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Three Watauga High School Seniors Win Teaching Fellows Scholarships

Watauga High School seniors Christian Chaney, Nathan Moody and Orrin Wheeler have been awarded North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarships, a prestigious scholarship worth $6,500 per year for four years—a total of $26,000—to aspiring teachers. Sarah Mixter is currently a highly ranked alternate for the award and is hopeful of receiving a scholarship soon.

The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program offers college scholarships to 500 of the most outstanding students from across the state each year. Teaching Fellows are selected through a highly competitive process that includes a review of each applicant’s high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, and a writing sample. Candidates must also furnish three references and participate in an interview.

In exchange for their scholarships, Teaching Fellows agree to teach in the North Carolina public schools for at least four years after graduating. If a recipient does not fulfill the agreement, the scholarship must be repaid to the State of North Carolina with 10 percent interest.

Three of the four prospective winners of Teaching Fellows Scholarships plan to attend Appalachian State University. Christian Chaney, son of the Reverend Mark and Mitzi Chaney of Deep Gap, plans to attend ASU to study middle grades math or science. Nathan Moody, son of Lisa and Steven Moody of Vilas, hopes to study music education. Orrin Wheeler, son of Sherry and Jerry Wheeler of Deep Gap, intends to study math for secondary education. Sarah Mixter, daughter of Perry and Jan Mixter of Boone, plans to attend UNC-Chapel Hill and study Spanish.

Teaching Fellows Scholarships can be used at thirteen of the sixteen members of the University of North Carolina system, as well as at five private colleges and universities in the state.

The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program was created to attract more of the state’s most promising and capable young people into the teaching profession. More than 3,100 Teaching Fellows recipients are now working in North Carolina’s public schools.